Better late than never? I could have easily penned this update straight after my visit to Brentwood parkrun on the Saturday afternoon, instead kept meaning to get to it as the week went on, but found myself getting progressively busier. Now, nearly two weeks after the event, here comes my ode to Brentwood....
In summary, week eight of my half marathon plan was another successful progression. I finally did a bit of tempo work with a fartlek run around London one lunchtime. I'd hate to think what a fartlek run looks like to a passer by. Some nutcase sprinting, walking and the jogging in-between, probably looks like a complete non runner clueless to how you're meant to run. The session was hard work though, those walking rest periods never feel long enough.
No major aches though so it was a case of good workout banked and move on.
In summary, week eight of my half marathon plan was another successful progression. I finally did a bit of tempo work with a fartlek run around London one lunchtime. I'd hate to think what a fartlek run looks like to a passer by. Some nutcase sprinting, walking and the jogging in-between, probably looks like a complete non runner clueless to how you're meant to run. The session was hard work though, those walking rest periods never feel long enough.
No major aches though so it was a case of good workout banked and move on.
Brentwood parkrun
February 21st had been marked in the calendar for some time. The event had launched in December, but I'd kept volunteering at Great Notley before Xmas so the opportunity to head across hadn't been there. January was a hectic phase of run and race directing. I'd caught up with Event Director Leigh over email and discussed when he'd be around as I was eager to meet him and absorb more parkrun experience. The third Saturday of the month worked and I'd also persuaded Alec to make the trip, he did make to the inaugural and had been talking it up ever since.
Our events share an ambassador & Gerry had mentioned how similar we were to Brentwood, the major difference being their course added hills to the mix. So I was prepared for tough, or was I?
Leigh had spotted me and once his RD duties allowed we exchanged a brief hello, we'd catch up after the run. The drive down to Brentwood had been really straight forward with both motorways being clear, the event was easier to get to than some closer on the map. They'd been some rain during my journey and I was hoping it was heading in a different direction to me.
This would mark the parkrun debut of the mudclaws, unless you count pre parkrun tours around the forest. I was glad for the addition of seal skinz socks as the course was the muddiest they'd seen it!
After a short but sweet briefing we wandered up to the start area, where Leigh started us with the church bells still ringing for nine o'clock. It was quite a sight for a dog walker who suddenly had around a hundred people hurtling down hill towards them! The first half kilometre was all downhill, first on a field, then on hardstanding paths. After crossing a bridge the course turns right and once you're through a field you find yourself climbing all the way to 2km. The gradient wasn't too bad, but the distance of the climb made it hard work.
Our events share an ambassador & Gerry had mentioned how similar we were to Brentwood, the major difference being their course added hills to the mix. So I was prepared for tough, or was I?
Leigh had spotted me and once his RD duties allowed we exchanged a brief hello, we'd catch up after the run. The drive down to Brentwood had been really straight forward with both motorways being clear, the event was easier to get to than some closer on the map. They'd been some rain during my journey and I was hoping it was heading in a different direction to me.
This would mark the parkrun debut of the mudclaws, unless you count pre parkrun tours around the forest. I was glad for the addition of seal skinz socks as the course was the muddiest they'd seen it!
After a short but sweet briefing we wandered up to the start area, where Leigh started us with the church bells still ringing for nine o'clock. It was quite a sight for a dog walker who suddenly had around a hundred people hurtling down hill towards them! The first half kilometre was all downhill, first on a field, then on hardstanding paths. After crossing a bridge the course turns right and once you're through a field you find yourself climbing all the way to 2km. The gradient wasn't too bad, but the distance of the climb made it hard work.
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| First parkrun for the mudclaws |
I could still see Alec in the distance, his bright yellow HBO shirt meant he stood out quite nicely, despite the field becoming stretched.
Just after 2km we turned into a woodland area and the sparsity of the field made it hardwork to identify the route at one point. Underfoot conditions were soft at best as we navigated fields and round a deer enclosure. After crossing one of the tracks in the estate I was soon heading back down to the bridge. A short uphill would take me back to the finish. Sadly a short uphill would also cut a kilometre or so from the course, instead I turned left and headed down to a rare sight on the course, a marshal. Event Director has managed to create a very lean event, something I was envious of with quite a manpower heavy course myself.
The final kilometre was laid out in front of me after passing the marshal, a bit more flat, then what appeared to be gentle uphill, some flat, another little climb then a nice descend to finish.
On starting the climb I appeared to be reeling Alec back in, a rare occurrence these days. Unfortunately by the midpoint of the climb I realised why. This innocent looking hill was a breaker. Such soft underfoot conditions that progress would have been easier through treacle. I wanted to walk, I hadn't walked at a parkrun for a long time. I really wanted to walk, this was daft, why had I got out of bed?
I managed to get to the point where it flattened out and grabbed some respite. I'd kept going, no walking for me. Now all I had was a brief bit of up before the downhill to the finish. By the time I'd got to the photographer at the end of this last climb I'd realised the tank was truly empty. It wasn't so much a sprint finish, more a barely passable bimple.
Just after 2km we turned into a woodland area and the sparsity of the field made it hardwork to identify the route at one point. Underfoot conditions were soft at best as we navigated fields and round a deer enclosure. After crossing one of the tracks in the estate I was soon heading back down to the bridge. A short uphill would take me back to the finish. Sadly a short uphill would also cut a kilometre or so from the course, instead I turned left and headed down to a rare sight on the course, a marshal. Event Director has managed to create a very lean event, something I was envious of with quite a manpower heavy course myself.
The final kilometre was laid out in front of me after passing the marshal, a bit more flat, then what appeared to be gentle uphill, some flat, another little climb then a nice descend to finish.
On starting the climb I appeared to be reeling Alec back in, a rare occurrence these days. Unfortunately by the midpoint of the climb I realised why. This innocent looking hill was a breaker. Such soft underfoot conditions that progress would have been easier through treacle. I wanted to walk, I hadn't walked at a parkrun for a long time. I really wanted to walk, this was daft, why had I got out of bed?
I managed to get to the point where it flattened out and grabbed some respite. I'd kept going, no walking for me. Now all I had was a brief bit of up before the downhill to the finish. By the time I'd got to the photographer at the end of this last climb I'd realised the tank was truly empty. It wasn't so much a sprint finish, more a barely passable bimple.
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| Slightly muddy |
I stopped the watch, grabbed my finish token and found myself at ninety degrees trying to collect myself. I was knackered, completely done.
I caught up with Leigh and we started talking all things parkrun, he was keen for feedback and I was keen for advice. A perfect combination. Not that I was overly coherent for the first few minutes!
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| Veloviewer of Brentwood parkrun. Figure of eight circuit. |
The Conclusion
In the immediate aftermath I tweeted the following:
Shock and awe. A term used back in my uni days to sum up a military tactic. It could also lend itself to Brentwood parkrun. I was shocked at how much it took out of me. A mid 28 time is, based solely on average times for me alone, appalling. It doesn't however take into account conditions. The hills of doom at Wimpole & Great Notley haven't defeated me in recent history. The difference is, they are a momentary distraction. Brentwood is unrelenting. You start fast downhill, get a covering of mud, climb for an age, take on some more mud, bit of downhill (to take you back through the first mud), then climb some more. Want to sprint finish? Good luck, Brentwood will have emptied you.
I'm in sheer awe. The course was the toughest I've experienced. I hated it. I loved it. It left me wanting to curl up in a ball and find some nice flat tarmac. It left me wanting more. In most cases you'll find routes have a bit of give & take. On this occasion, potentially due to the conditions, it felt like 95% carrot, 5% stick. Will I be back? Absolutely. The course will be perfect training for Endure and a good gauge through the summer to my marathon training.
The entirety of the challenge enthralled me, this parkrun is an absolute gem and goes to the top of many lists. I'm sure it'll be kinder in the summer or when frozen, but part of me will have an eye on bad weather and hoping it coincides with future visits.
I'm in sheer awe. The course was the toughest I've experienced. I hated it. I loved it. It left me wanting to curl up in a ball and find some nice flat tarmac. It left me wanting more. In most cases you'll find routes have a bit of give & take. On this occasion, potentially due to the conditions, it felt like 95% carrot, 5% stick. Will I be back? Absolutely. The course will be perfect training for Endure and a good gauge through the summer to my marathon training.
The entirety of the challenge enthralled me, this parkrun is an absolute gem and goes to the top of many lists. I'm sure it'll be kinder in the summer or when frozen, but part of me will have an eye on bad weather and hoping it coincides with future visits.
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| The week also included some parkrun sign making |
The Long Run
So after a brutal parkrun and just before the first cricket net of the season would be the logical time to sneak in the longest run of my training cycle wouldn't it?
There was some logic to it, some method to the madness. After the first net I'm generally an achy mess, though working from home on the Monday would allow for a long run, I didn't want any excuses.
So at 0634 I was out, heading towards Bishop's Stortford on a bright Sunday morning. Having seen a route my core team colleague Paul had taken through Birchanger, I decided to head this way as an alternative to reaching Stortford.
My last proper experience of climb in the village was during the Birchanger 11k of 2011 (officially marketed as a 10k, but something appeared to go a bit wrong with the measuring wheel). I'd forgotten just how long the hill lasted for, a great start to a run after the exertion the day before!!
Once the A120 was negotiated I was into Stortford and found myself consistently at a decent 5:50-6:00/km pace. I passed the golf club and chose to head to the running club. I knew I needed around 10km around Stortford so the plan was to freestyle my way around. After getting back towards the town centre I picked a random left turn when the climb looked challenging and kept making random turns until I eventually found myself at the base of the hill to the rugby club. This was the intention, yet the journey there included parts of Stortford I'd never seen in nearly 5 years of living there in my past!
A tough slog got me to the rugby club, then the cricket club and back, almost towards Stansted. The route even allowed for a diversion around Lime Kiln Lane as I approached home.
A nice twenty kilometres banked, a good long run. Onto the roller, get showered, scoff some breakfast and then straight out of the door for cricket, no rest for the insane!!
After two hours of bowling (not risking the tendinitis by batting at present) I was reduced to bowling spin, albeit probably at a greater pace than my usual slow medium filth. I wasn't surprised to find myself falling asleep on the sofa by 6pm!!!
There was some logic to it, some method to the madness. After the first net I'm generally an achy mess, though working from home on the Monday would allow for a long run, I didn't want any excuses.
So at 0634 I was out, heading towards Bishop's Stortford on a bright Sunday morning. Having seen a route my core team colleague Paul had taken through Birchanger, I decided to head this way as an alternative to reaching Stortford.
My last proper experience of climb in the village was during the Birchanger 11k of 2011 (officially marketed as a 10k, but something appeared to go a bit wrong with the measuring wheel). I'd forgotten just how long the hill lasted for, a great start to a run after the exertion the day before!!
Once the A120 was negotiated I was into Stortford and found myself consistently at a decent 5:50-6:00/km pace. I passed the golf club and chose to head to the running club. I knew I needed around 10km around Stortford so the plan was to freestyle my way around. After getting back towards the town centre I picked a random left turn when the climb looked challenging and kept making random turns until I eventually found myself at the base of the hill to the rugby club. This was the intention, yet the journey there included parts of Stortford I'd never seen in nearly 5 years of living there in my past!
A tough slog got me to the rugby club, then the cricket club and back, almost towards Stansted. The route even allowed for a diversion around Lime Kiln Lane as I approached home.
A nice twenty kilometres banked, a good long run. Onto the roller, get showered, scoff some breakfast and then straight out of the door for cricket, no rest for the insane!!
After two hours of bowling (not risking the tendinitis by batting at present) I was reduced to bowling spin, albeit probably at a greater pace than my usual slow medium filth. I wasn't surprised to find myself falling asleep on the sofa by 6pm!!!
The Eat
It has taken so damn long to put this post together I'm struggling to recall the highlights! A visit to Five Guys on the Saturday night and a humongous steak on Sunday finished the week perfectly!
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| Going All in at Five Guys |
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